


You Can Say That

by megank49



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 14:26:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megank49/pseuds/megank49
Summary: You, the reader, are getting tired of being stood up by Barry.





	You Can Say That

“Mom, I just don’t know what to do. I really like him, but this is the second time this week he has stood me up.” You sigh, fold your napkin, throw a ten on the table, and head out to your car.

  
“Maybe you should let him go.” Your mom says.

  
“I don’t want to let him go though. I think I love him.” You slide into your car and wipe at your watering eyes.

  
“But does he love you? You deserve the best, honey.”

  
“He is the best.”

  
“Take some time to think about it before you decide. Don’t decide right now while you are crying. You will say something you regret.”

  
“Thanks. Love you.”

  
“Love you too.”

  
You hang up the phone and see Barry rushing up to the door of the restaurant. His cardigan is pushed up his left arm where he checks the time before running his hand through his hair, attempting to smooth it out. You watch him go in and look around. He speaks to the hostess and you see his shoulders slump when he realizes you aren’t there.

  
Your phone chirps to life. _I’m sorry I’m late. I can swing by your apartment or wherever you are._

  
You put the key in the ignition and pull out, heading towards home and not giving a second thought to your phone. It chirps the whole six minute drive back to your apartment.

  
_Babe?_  
_I’m sorry._  
_Please talk to me._  
One missed call.

  
You unlock your apartment door and enter, tossing your keys on the counter and flipping on the light. Caprice, your black cat, snakes his way through your legs.

  
“Hey baby.” You scratch behind his ears. “What should I do about, Barry?” Caprice meows and looks longingly at his bowl.

  
“You’re right. Barry is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t give that up. I just prioritize him higher than he does me, but that’s okay. I’d rather be a small part of his life than not at all.” You say this all as you scoop food into the paw-print bowl.

  
_Sorry, I was on the phone with my mom. It’s fine, Bar. Don’t worry about it._  
 _I’ll make it up to you. I promise._  
 _No need._  
……  
Who were you kidding? Being 20th on Barry’s priority list while he was number one on yours was taking a toll on you. You flipped through the book you were absent-mindedly reading as you waited for Barry.

  
“Would you like another wine, ma’am?” Your waiter asks, but you shake your head no.

  
“I gotta drive home after this. Better just make it a water.”

  
He nods and clears away your wine glass. You go back to pretending to read your book.

  
“Hey babe, sorry I’m late.” Barry says as he crashes into the seat across from you. His button down white shirt is wrinkled and only partially tucked in. He looks like he ran the whole way here.

  
“It’s alright.” You shrug even though you have been waiting for over thirty minutes.

  
“Why didn’t you say you had to work today?” Barry asks as he takes in your scrubs. “I wouldn’t have asked you to meet tonight.”

  
“It’s alright, I wanted to see you.” You smile and Barry grabs your hand. “How was work?”

  
“God, so busy. Our court hearing got moved up by a few days and my samples needed to be rushed so I could prepare my report. Then I got called to another crime scene in the middle of that.” He rubs your hand. “But I’m here now.”

  
“I’m glad.”

  
“Me too, beautiful.”

  
Barry continues to rub the back of your hand as you lean across the table to give him a kiss.

  
“I love you.” You whisper.

  
Barry pulls back and you instantly regret blurting that out. You haven’t told each other that yet and maybe you just jumped the gun.  
“I gotta go.” He says, getting up and kissing your lips. “I’ll call you later. Promise.”

  
You’re left alone at the same table you ironically sat at last week.  
……  
“Your feet are tickling me.” Barry says as you push your toes into his side. You are both curled up together on your couch watching a movie. You look over to ruffle his hair, but he is absorbed in a text on his phone. Like he has been this whole night. You put your feet back on the ground, startling Caprice who darts across the room.

  
“Barry, you need to go.” You say clicking off on the movie.

  
“Huh, it’s over already?” He says after a moments pause.

  
“No, but we are.” You mentally high five yourself for both being creative and for not letting your voice crack.

  
“Done what?” He asks, finally setting his phone aside.

  
“Done dating. Done being together. Done being us.” You stand to your feet and begin cleaning up the popcorn bowl and spilled kernels just to have something to do.

  
“Wait, stop.” Barry grabs your arm. “Look at me.” You slowly lift your eyes to meet his gaze. “What do you mean done?”

  
“Barry, I am breaking up with you. Please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

  
“Why?” His voice is soft.

  
“Because I’m tired of being number twenty. I deserve to be number one.” You say and even though you don’t feel like that’s true, you know it is.

  
“But you are number one.” He protests.

  
“Maybe to Caprice.” You mutter.

  
“No, to me.”

  
“Says the now three dates you have either been late to or stood me up in the last week.”

  
“I’m sorry, I can explain. I was with Caitlin and Cisco.”

  
“So what, I’m number three? Not twenty?”

  
“What, no. We were working.”

  
“So work, Caitlin, and Cisco come before me?”

  
Barry sighs and pulls you into a hug. “No. Never.”

  
“Look, I don’t want to be that needy girlfriend who has to come before everything else, but I also want to know you care.” You rest your head on his chest.  
“I do care.”

  
“Then why did you run when I told you I loved you?”

  
Barry pauses a moment before answering. “Because a mom and baby were stuck in a burning building.”

  
“So, you’re a fireman now?”

  
“No, but I am The Flash.”

  
You pull back and look up at him. “That’s the shittiest lie I have ever heard.”

  
Barry scoops you up in his arms and suddenly wind is streaking past you. “Not so shitty huh?” He snickers, plopping you down in the sand at the park by the water.

  
“What the hell, Barry?”

  
He shrugs. “Um, surprise?”

  
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” You hold your hand up when he opens his mouth. “And don’t say you were trying to protect me.”

  
“Then I can’t say anything.”

  
You sit down in the sand, watching the sun fall behind a cloud floating just above the horizon. It’s a lot to take in, but it all makes sense. The disappearances, the being late, the late nights.

  
Barry sits down beside you and pulls you into his chest. “Can I say I love you?”

  
“Yeah, you can say that.” You smile.


End file.
